Automatic drier



D. WILLIAMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AUTOMATIC DR IER Dec. 13, 1,938...

` n v v Y iled March 2-1936 y f- /W 4 JHYENTOH." j

.-DO .MJL JHNS- E- TORRE-:YS

AUTOMATIC DRIER Filed March 2, 1936 2 SheetshSheeL 2 vl TTORHBYS.

i' Patented Dec. 13, 1938 PATENT OFFICE 2,140,439 AUTOMATIC Damn -Dow Williams, Santa Ana, Calif. Application March 2, 1936, Serial No. 66,704

1 Claim.

devices for drying surfaces, such as athletic fields, racetracks, walks, floors, or any other surface Vwherein moisture is to be removed therefrom.

' A further object is toproduce a device of this character which is readily-portable, and one which may be movedover thesurface .Without injury f thereto. f Y

A further ,objectv is to produce a device which is economical to manufacture. y'A still further object is to produce a device which may be used by an unskilled person, and may be manually operated or power operated. u Other objects vand advantages will be apparl5'* ent'during thecourse of the following description. In-theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this. specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout Athe same, f

20' f' Fig. 1 is aside elevation ofmy device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a modified form of my device;

f 3y is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

25 Figf4 is a cross sectionalview taken on the f line `4--4 of Fig.V 3. Y v It isv the object of the invention to produce a device fortaking up the moisture from a surface, particularly a large surface, and Vone wherein it VV3 0 is not convenient to sweep the water from the surface; and, therefore, by providing a rotatable f blotting like arrangement, the device willabsorb the water and deposit it in a suitable receptacle.

' In the accompanying drawingsr wherein for 35 the purposeof illustration is shown a preferred i y embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 f designates Va framework carrying a shaft 6 at its Y lower endy and having ahandle 'I at its upper end. The handle furnishes manual means wherey' (40` by fthe entire arrangement may be moved but it j is'tobvious that motive power may be applied in f v any convenient manner.

j l ,Are'ceptacle is shown at 8, which receptacle is l, "adapted to lreceive watenas will be Ylater de- K V145 scribed. This receptacleisattached to the frame v5'by braces 9 and II.- v

'A caster or Wheel is shown at I2,the purpose of which is obvious. Mounted above the recepta- Y cle- 8'are rollers I3 and I4, the roller `Ibeing 50L urged against the roller I4 through the medium f t vofsprings I6. The rollers vI3'and I4- virtually fform 'awringen Mounted upon the shaft 6 are y V f .,apluralityof drums I1, each of which has ahol- This invention relates to improvements in 10W hub I8, provided with a bore I9 of greater diameter than the diameter of the shaft 6. A pin 2| extends through the shaft E and has its ends projecting through openings formed in the hubs I8, which openings 22 are of greater di- 5 ameter than the diameter of the pin 2l.

` The result of this drum and shaft connection is that as the drums are rolled over a surface, they will revolve; but may move up and down upon .the shaft so as to absorb inequalities in the 10 surface over which they are being rolled. A belt 23 of absorption material is passed over the drum II, thencev over the roller I4 and roller I3, thence over the idler 24, and back to the drum I'I.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 2, I have 15 provided a second set of idlers 26 so that a flat portion 21 contacts the ground. In this modified form, I have also shown a cleaning brush 28 which contacts the under surface of the belt and removes sticks, grass, and the like.

It will be apparent from the above description that when my device is moved over a surface which is wet that the belt in contacting the Wet surface will act like a blotter in absorbing the moisture from the surface, and Will carry the moisture between the rollers I3 and I4 Where it will be squeezed out into the receptacle 8, from which the fluid may be dumped at any convenient point.

' It is to be understood that the form of my in- 30 vention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:-

In a device of the class described including a frame having a shaft mounted therein, a plurality of drums loosely mounted on said shaft, 40 each of said drums having a hub and a bore extending through said hub of greater diameter than the diameter of said shaft, slots formed in the hubs, pins extending through'said shaft and f into the slotted hubs, an endless belt of absorbent material carried by supporting means on said frame and passing partly around said drums and in contact therewith, whereby when said drums and said belt are moved over the ground,

said drums will compensate for unevenness in the surface thereof.

- DOW WILLIAMS. 

